WASHINGTON — DC Police are still looking for four men suspected of stealing two dogs at gunpoint, robbing a man of his shoes, and shooting two other guys, in a string of attacks Wednesday afternoon.
Pablo, a 10-week-old Australian Shepherd mix rescue dog, was taken on the busy corner of Florida Avenue and 8th Street, NW just after 4 p.m. Rick Oleka said he was outside the CVS, clutching tight to his puppy, waiting for his girlfriend to fill a prescription inside.
"A car pulled up to the intersection and four guys hopped out, all wearing masks, all wearing hoodies," he said.
Oleka said one of the robbers came right around his blindside.
"The next thing you know, I look down and I feel a gun on my stomach and the guy saying, 'Give me your dog!'" he said.
Pablo seems to have been their primary target.
"One of them asked if I had anything else, a phone or a wallet," almost as an afterthought, Oleka said.
Police released photos of two of the suspects, one of them clutching the puppy.
"At that point, they sped off," Oleka said.
Investigators believe the same group had already robbed Jamaica Harvey's boyfriend of her 14-month-old French bulldog Bruno.
"They asked him for his dog," Harvey said. "They showed a gun and he wasn't willing to give his life for a gun, so he just said take the dog."
After the two dog-nappings, police say the suspects shot two men on 4th Street, NE, and robbed another man of his shoes at 2nd Street NE, all in less than an hour.
"All our love to Bruno's parents and the two shooting victims," said Abby Sevcika, Pablo's other owner. "Our heart goes out to them. "Honestly, fortunate to be alive and not been hurt in that altercation. No questions asked. We have a reward our. We just want him back."
K9 Lifesavers and Pablo's owners are offering a $5,000 reward for his return. The Metropolitan Police Department's reward for information is up to $10,000. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact MPD at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's Text Tip Line at 50411.
Experts say French Bulldog puppies can sell for as much as $4,500. But Pablo was a mixed breed rescue puppy. However, Oleka still says it's possible his pet was stolen because of his appearance.
"It's hard to know the motivation behind pet thefts, but certainly it's possible they could be resold," said Chris Schindle of Humane Rescue Alliance. "So that's why it's important to share the images so anyone looking to buy a pet may recognize the image."